The Amulet of Io
by Fleur de Anemone
Summary: An evil, powerful demoness is reincarnated as a demon slayer with all the memories of her past. Her demon blood was sealed in an amulet, and Naraku promised it to her in exchange for the Tetsusaiga...
1. Chapter 1

A crisp breeze blew in from the west, a hint of flowers, eucalyptus and herbs trialing along. Inuyasha and his companions were too busy to enjoy this breeze. There was a giant hog demon with a shard of the Shikon no Tama, and it was causing Inuyasha a great deal of trouble. Kirara had been smashed with one of the hog's giant tusks, so Miroku and Sango were tending to her while Shippou hid behind them. Kagome got an arrow through the hog's ear before Inuyasha took over with the Tetsusaiga.

"This is taking way too long…" Inuyasha muttered. "Kagome, where's the jewel shard?"

"One second…" Kagome squinted. "In between his eyes!"

The hog actually reared up and roared, taking off towards Inuyasha.

"WINDSCAR!"

_I wonder how much bacon you could make with this?_ Kagome thought as she fired her arrow. The arrow struck square between the eyes, slaying it instantly.

They were totally unprepared for when the hog exploded with black ink.

Inuyasha's eyes spiraled and he fell over. Shippou practically mimicked this action, and Kirara turned back to her cute, cuddly form.

Sango smiled. "I'm so glad you're alright, Kirara." She picked up her companion and hugged her. Kagome helped Inuyasha up and Miroku grabbed Shippou.

"That crafty lunatic!" Kagome muttered angrily. "Filling the demon with ink to erase his scent…"

"Genius." Miroku said, looking at the sky. "He is evil, mind you, but positively genius. He could be right on the other side of those trees and we wouldn't be able to find him unless the ink was cleaned."

"You're right, Miroku." Sango agreed. "We have to be on our guard until we get far enough from the ink. Kirara can't transform, and we can't use Shippou's magic and tricks. We're just three humans against him, at least for the time being."

"Right." Kagome nodded and helped Inuyasha stagger away. "Even if my nose isn't super powerful, that ink really smells bad…"

"Just be glad your nose ISN'T super powerful!" Inuyasha muttered, dazed from the ink.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Kagome darted over to the pig—leaving Inuyasha to stand by himself, which he could barely do—and searched around. Finally she plucked the jewel shard from the ground and deposited it into the little bottle around her neck. "It would have been stupid to leave it here."

* * *

Kikyo walked slowly down a path, towards the town she was currently living in. Her spirit catchers followed her, ready to disappear had there been any disturbance. She felt a pang in the back of her head, making her pause and look around. One of her spirit catchers came up next to her ear. She nodded and thought, _so she has returned. There is no doubt Naraku will try to get her to work for him. I must kill her before they meet. And before she finds it…

* * *

Naraku walked down another path, his baboon hide covering him, as always. He lifted one hand and dropped his jewel shards into his other, doing this several times. __That mere swine will hold them off for a bit while I concoct a new plan. _He thought eagerly. _Fools. _

His eyes lifted to the path before him. Before he saw anything else, he saw the sun glinting off a newly polished blade that was curved wickedly and stuck on a chain. All in all, it looked like his pawn's weapon, Kohaku's. Except much, much larger, a little smaller than that demon huntress's boomerang. The chain was wound up over a shoulder, looped several times so it didn't drag. The hilt was rested over a delicate, feminine neck, and the blade curved downward across her chest. She wore a tight-fitting black jumpsuit, along with the usual pads of a demon slayer, only light purple. Dark, black-purple eyes were fixed on the ground, not even bothering to look at who they passed. A young face and black, purple-tinted hair confirmed that she was human, human enough.

As they passed, the girl's eyes shot to him, then back to the ground, almost secretive. Once they passed, the girl stopped and said, "You must be the one they call Naraku."

"Yes." Naraku said, smirking under his baboon mask. "You are a demon slayer, from the village that birthed the Shikon no Tama. Yet, your aura speaks of a terrible demon heritage. Why do you hunt us if you are a demon yourself?"

"It is the perfect cover." The girl's dark eyes darted to the undergrowth. Just a mouse. "No one will suspect a demon working as a demon slayer."

"There is nothing to show you are a demon." Naraku pointed out. Through this whole conversation, they had not even turned around to look at each other. "No ears, and no apparent abilities."

"Long ago, a priestess sealed my demon blood in an amulet and killed my worthless human body. I was reincarnated and grew as a demon slayer, but with all the memories of my… Lovely past. When the village was massacred I ran to look for the amulet. I have been searching for you for many days. A demon like yourself must have heard of the amulet."

"I know of many amulets." Naraku replied simply.

"I am seeking the amulet of Io. Once it is in my possession I can rein supreme over the demon population once more."

Naraku nodded. "I know the amulet of which you speak, and I know who you are. You are Sakuya, the Killer Queen. You manipulate water, no?"

"I take moisture from the air and the ground and shape it in the form of a sea serpent. Now where is the amulet? I need to know."

"Being a ninja-type person," Naraku went on. "You must be good at killing demons. It is what you were trained to do, no?"

"Yes."

"I will take you to the amulet if you kill Inuyasha and bring me the Tetsusaiga."

Sakuya turned her head to glare at him. "Inuyasha, the half demon. Ah, the man who fell in love with that goddamn priestess. You didn't even have to ask me, he and that priestess are first on my murderous list."

"Good, yes." Naraku chuckled. "He and his companions are nearby, just south of here."

"Thank you." Sakuya turned and strode off. "But remember, you must tell me where it is, the…"

* * *

"The amulet of Io?" Shippou asked, perched on Miroku's shoulder. He and his friends were sitting around a fire beneath a willow tree, far away from the death place of the hog demon. "What's that?"

Shippou had been bored, so he asked Miroku to tell him a story. And he had made everyone else listen too.

"It's a silly legend, but an ideal children's story." Miroku scratched one of Shippou's ears. "Fifty-three years ago—three years before Inuyasha was sealed against the tree—Kikyo the priestess caught a powerful demon approaching her village. The demon fought back when she tried to send her away, and it was then Kikyo realized the demon's true power. So, using one of the many heirlooms on her family, the amulet of Io, she sealed all the demon's demon blood away and killed her human body. It is unknown where the amulet is today."

"What if the amulet was purified?" Kagome asked. "Would the demon be purified too?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Miroku replied. "It is also said that the demon was actually a very attractive woman…"

Bonk.

Sango's boomerang thudded into his head. "Keep your legends to yourself!"

Sakuya walked out of the undergrowth, crossing the clearing. Miroku looked up, as did everyone else.

"A demon slayer! From my village!" Sango gasped. "How…"

"Hm?" Sakuya's head turned sharply, and the chain on her weapon rattled. She stopped, her feet scraping the grass. Usually humans wore shoes, or at least socks, but not Sakuya. _There they are. Hiding in the tree fringe._

Kirara began to growl, and then roar loudly. She transformed into her large form and glared at Sakuya coldly.

Sakuya—Just as naïve and hot-tempered as Inuyasha—glared at Kirara and said, "You want to pick a fight with me cat? If you do just growl the word!"

"Kirara, hush." Sango rubbed Kirara's head. "Who are you? And where did you get those clothes?"

Sakuya's eyes flashed. _There is it, the Tetsusaiga._ She thought staring at Inuyasha's sword.

She pointed. "That thing can't even cut paper."

Inuyasha drew his sword. "Come over here and say that to my face, you annoying huntress!"

"If you say so." Sakuya shrugged the chain off her shoulder and began to whip the blade in all directions as if it was a yoyo. The blade somehow made its way towards Inuyasha…

Only to be halted by Sango's boomerang.

The blade thudded into the hard bone, then was pulled away and caught by Sakuya. "Why do you defend him? He's a filthy demon!"

"That's what I thought at first. But I remember you, Sakuya, and how you ran away when Naraku attacked us!" Sango replied coldly. "You ran away, ran from a terrible battle. You fled when your village needed you and your unique skills most!"

Sakuya wound her weapon around her shoulder again. "Say what you must, but I am only here to slay Inuyasha, and I have no other task. Stand aside, Sango, and you will not be injured."

"You could not defeat him if you tried." Sango sniffed. "I was his equal only with a Shikon jewel shard."

"You were always weak." Sakuya said simply. "You hesitated far too much, long enough to mortally injure yourself and your brother. Sure, I did run away. I did. But I've heard all about the massacre from the neighboring villages." She unwound her weapon and twirled it expertly. "So just run along and slay demons while I take care of Inuyasha."

"Take care of me?" Inuyasha laughed. "Sure, kiddo. I'm older that you think and probably far more skilled…"

"You are around sixty seven, no?"

"…Yeah…"

"Well I'm even older than that. So just give me the Tetsusaiga and maybe you'll be spared."

This infuriated Inuyasha. "Who are you working for? Sesshomaru? Naraku?"

"I work for no one, but Naraku knows where my amulet is." She replied coolly, polishing her blade on her sleeve. Suddenly it lashed out at Inuyasha, catching his shoulder.

Inuyasha's hand was now pressed over the wound. "What amulet? What does it have to do with us?"

Sakuya was no longer paying attention to him. She pointed her blade at Kagome. "YOU!" She hissed. "The reincarnation of the goddamn priestess who sealed my blood away. That's three people on my list to kill."

"How ironic, we were just talking about you, Sakuya." Miroku said brightly. "You're the woman who's demon blood was sealed away in the amulet of Io, correct?"

"That's right, and I'm looking to get my demon side back. And I can only get it by…" Her blade lashed out again, grazing Inuyasha's cheek. "either slaying Inuyasha or stealing the Tetsusaiga!"

Inuyasha leapt into a tree and brushed the blood off of his cheek. "Why you… Who EXACTLY are you?"

"I," Sakuya said with a dramatic flourish. "Am Sakuya the Killer Queen."

Kagome's eyes widened. _Where have I heard that before?_ Her mind flashed back to school, history class, legends of Japan…

"Of course!" She suddenly exclaimed, with earned her "Huh?" looks from everyone.

"My history book had a paragraph on you." Her face darkened. "You eat people's dreams and kill them in their sleep."

"Oh, good thinking!" She replied sarcastically. Sakuya waved her arms in a "Let's move on" motion. "Absolutely genius. Now, can we just go to killing Inuyasha and stealing the sword now?"

Inuyasha glared at her from the safety of his tree. "Kagome, get your arrows. We're just going to kill her with the windscar and get it over with!"

Sakuya wound her weapon over her shoulder again and whipped out a fan with the water symbol on it. "Oh, please. Wind and water don't go well together."

"That fan!" Sango gasped.

"It looks just like…" Shippou continued.

"Kagura's!" Miroku finished.

Sakuya pulled back the fan then waved it towards Inuyasha powerfully, shouting, "Dense ofu fu Serupentsu!"

The moisture was sucked out of the air, giving it a dry, dull smell. It all wound together like a water tornado, until it slapped together into the form of a giant sea serpent. The serpent roared, and glared its pupiless eyes down at Inuyasha and his friends. Then it rolled over to them and crashed down, covering the area with water. Sakuya, watched with an emotionless face as Inuyasha and his friends were crashed down into the mud with such force, a hole was made beneath them. Once everything was over, Sakuya reached down through the water and pulled out the Tetsusaiga. "Oh, please!" She laughed, walking off. "This is the power of a half demon? Ridiculous!"

Sakuya was long gone by the time Inuyasha and his friends pushed out of the mud.

"What strength, and as a human!" Miroku muttered, spitting out mud and rubbing it out of his hair. Inuyasha shook himself, covering Miroku with mud again.

"You're telling me!" Inuyasha replied. "Why I oughta…" He reached down as if to whip out the Tetsusaiga, only to grasp the air. "What the… She took the Tetsusaiga!"

He jumped into the air and took off in a random direction, only for Kagome to catch his shoulder. "Inuyasha, calm down. There are footprints in the mud we can follow, and I can just about tell you that you're going in the wrong direction!" Kagome hopped on his back. "So hurry up, lets go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice."


	2. Chapter 2

Sakuya polished the Tetsusaiga with the cloth she used to polish her weapon, which was named "Deafuon a shiruberu chiinu," which meant "Death on a silver chain." Each step jingled the chain wound over her shoulder, making her vulnerable to attack.

Naraku emerged from the trees on the side of the road. "Ah, Sakuya. I see you have succeeded."

"Yes, of course I have." She didn't look up, but simply walked on, polishing the Tetsusaiga. "Now tell me where the amulet is."

"Not until the Tetsusaiga is on my hands," Naraku replied.

"No. I know your tricks and lies. I want thorough directions to the amulet that cover every obstacle on the way." She snapped.

"I see, I see." Naraku pointed off to the North. "Several miles north you will encounter a troll guarding a cave. Tell him who you are and give him confirmation and he will let you pass. You will have to fight many demons to get to the amulet's chamber."

He caught the Tetsusaiga as it was thrown to him forcefully. Sakuya whipped out her fan and unfolded it. "If you are lying, you scum, then I will make short work of you. And believe me, I can." She turned and walked off, her chain jingling. Her pupils shrank when she felt the firm blade of the Tetsusaiga slide deeply along her left shoulder blade. She cried out and fell, warm, scarlet blood pouring from an open wound.

Naraku hid the blade beneath his baboon hide. "Fare the well." He laughed, and disappeared down the road.

Sakuya lay there for a moment, until she found the strength to drag her other arm and close over the gash. Her back was exposed to the open air, making her more vulnerable. The moisture was once again, sucked from the air and made to form two hands of water. Sakuya let go of the wound and let the hands clean it out.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, some time later. She had heard something coming towards her, passed out, and now…

"Can you get up?"

She focused her eyes on two bare feet, inches from her nose. Her dark, emotionless eyes lifted to the face of Inuyasha. "No... I… I can't…"

A fire was burning a little way off. Inuyasha had followed her scent, and Kagome insisted they help her. She was only human, for the time being, anyway. Her left sleeve was torn off at the shoulder, exposing bandaged flesh underneath. Kagome looked away from the fire to Sakuya. "You've lost a lot of blood. For the time being, all you need is rest. You are deeply injured, and Naraku has the Tetsusaiga. You are foolish not to realize its power."

"Foolish?" Sakuya sat up swiftly. "The Tetsusaiga is made of a demon fang, as is Deafuon a shiruberu chiinu…" Her face twisted as something popped and snapped in her shoulder. She sank back down. "Ooowww…"

"You won't be fit enough to move so quickly in a long time!" Kagome snapped. "Stay still!"

"The wound on your shoulder is just below fatal." Miroku explained, warming by the fire. "I'm afraid to say that you won't be able to move your arm for some time…"

He gasped as Sakuya's good arm gripped his collar and pulled him forward. "What? HOW LONG?"

"A very long time."

"GAH!" Sakuya let go and sank back down for the second time. "This is terrible… I'll be an idiot human forever…"

"Hey! We're not idiots!" Sango replied. "You are, for giving Naraku the Tetsusaiga! And what did you expect in return anyway?"

"Naraku told me where my amulet is! If we find that and return me to my demon form it will speed up the healing process!" Sakuya hissed.

"Are you out of your mind?" Inuyasha laughed, hopping up and sitting in a tree. "We wouldn't return you to your demon form if your life depended on it!"

"Inuyasha, you're powerless—" Miroku began.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Let me finish! You're powerless without the Tetsusaiga. We need a weapon against Naraku to get your sword back. And Sakuya could just be that weapon."

"What kinda demon are you anyway?" Inuyasha asked, looking down at the wounded girl.

"Sea serpent."

Inuyasha fell out of his tree. "A sea serpent DEMON?"

"Yeah, wanna make something of it?"

"Yes. I do. But keep in mind that I'd kill you if you weren't wounded."

With her good hand, Sakuya whipped out her fan and shouted, "Dense ofu fu Serupentsu!"

The serpent was one hundred times smaller than her first one because she was so weak, but it still managed to bash Inuyasha against a tree and explode with water, which doused the fire and soaked everyone. Sakuya still glared at Inuyasha, who was rubbing his head.

"Say it again."

Inuyasha shook himself, soaking everyone… Again. "What does that mean, anyway?"

"Dance of the Serpent."

Everyone exchanged quick, uneasy glances.

"Have you ever heard of Kagura?" Shippou asked, sitting next to her.

Sakuya rubbed his ears with her good hand. "Kagura? No, sorry…"

"Well she controls the wind, and she has a fan like yours, and her attack is called 'Dance of the Dragon.'"

"Really?" Sakuya smiled wryly. "I want to meet this Kagura…"

"You can't, she's dead. Princess Kaguya killed her."

"…Oh. Kaguya, she was so annoying. Always trying to manipulate men..." Sakuya pointed at Miroku with her good hand. "Your grandfather sealed her away, right? That was what my mother told me."

"Yes." Miroku replied. "My grandfather too was cursed by Naraku and found Kaguya as he was chasing him."

"Whatever… Now on to more important matters."

Everyone exchanged quick glances.

Sakuya opened her mouth. "Someone feed me! I can't move and I'm hungry!"

Shippou snatched a bowl of ramen from Inuyasha and held some to Sakuya's mouth. "Being as old as you, you must have dozens of bedtime stories to tell!"

Sakuya swallowed the ramen. "You could say that, I guess. Most of the stories mainly focus on me, though. More please!"

Shippou fed her another bite. "Can you tell one? Please? I bet yours are better than Miroku's!"

Miroku glared at him. "Insolent fox…" He muttered.

Sakuya laughed. "My stories aren't what you'd call 'fairy tales.' They have death, and blood, and depression, and romance. I tell my stories like they are, I don't cut out all the gore. More please!"

Shippou fed her eyes more. "Ooh! Tell me a story, please?"

"Sure, sure. Alright, about 30 years ago I was going to this town, see, and…"

"She seems very social with Shippou." Kagome said to Inuyasha, as Shippou eagerly listened to Sakuya.

"It's just an act," he scoffed. "To earn our trust. Then we give her the amulet and BOOM, there is the super evil demon we've heard about."

"I don't know, Inuyasha. It's pretty convincing." Sango put in. "Look how happy Shippou looks. And Sakuya is different from the girl I knew."

Sakuya waved a hand in the air to indicate something in her story. "And then, this big demons comes out of nowhere with slavering jaws like this—" She opened her mouth wide and closed it several times. "He sorta looked like a fish, or an eel, or something. His skin was all blue and yucky…"

"She's much more social, and strong. We never even knew she had that water magic. Kagura is the wind and Sakuya is the water. I remember when we were young, she was always so secretive and quiet, like she knew something others didn't." Sango looked at the sky. "Maybe the last several years as a demon slayer changed her perspective."

"Huh, highly doubted." Inuyasha sniffed. "She's probably as evil as ever. If she had an encounter with Naraku and lived she can't exactly be 'trusted.'"

"Think about it, Inuyasha. We return her demon power until we get the Tetsusaiga back, then take it away again. See? We can have a weapon, without her being dangerous to the public!" Kagome pointed out.

Inuyasha did consider this. "Alright… But I won't like it!" he glared down from his tree at Sakuya. "I'll get your stupid amulet, but I won't like it!"

"Fine, whatever. As long as you get it. Naraku said to go north, find a cave, kill all the demons and steal the amulet. Easy, okay?" Sakuya snapped in reply. "Now shut up, I'm telling a story! OK so that blue yucky guy…"

And so on.

Inuyasha hopped out of his tree. "Can someone come with me? Or do I have to go alone?"

"I'll go." Sango volunteered. Sango knelt by Sakuya. "Sakuya, just get better, alright?" She stood and picked up her boomerang. "Come on, Kirara."

Kirara mewed and leapt onto her shoulder.

Miroku shot Kagome a sly glance. Sakuya paused when Shippou said, "I'll protect you from Miroku, Kagome!"

"Thank you, Shippou." Kagome smiled as Inuyasha and Sango disappeared into the forest.

Sakuya's eyelids drooped. "I suddenly feel so tired…"

Kagome felt her forehead. "You're burning up with a fever. Here, I'll go get some cold water. Miroku, Shippou, watch Sakuya while I'm gone."

Sakuya rested her chin on the back of her hand and looked at the grass. "Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked in a drowsy voice.

"Inuyasha intends you use you as a weapon to win back the Tetsusaiga." Miroku explained. "We all do…"

"So that's how I repay your kindness. I fight for you."

"Is something wrong?"

"My whole life… All seventy-nine years of it… I've had to kill something. I don't try to be evil." She cast her eyes to the side, away from Shippou and Miroku. "Something triggers in my mind and tells me to kill something. And even if I refuse I do it anyway for reasons unknown. And now I'm going to be used as a weapon to get back some toothpick of a sword." He voice grew in volume as her dark eyes were fixed in a glare upon Miroku. "Why do you care if Naraku has the Tetsusaiga? What could he do that Inuyasha can't? So maybe he'll kill some people, what does it mean to you anyway?"

"That's why you are evil." Miroku said. "You do not have any family, or friends, do you?"

"..No, I've never really loved anybody…"

"Exactly, you have never felt the need to care for anybody but yourself. Naraku will kill thousands with the Tetsusaiga and we have to stop him. Inuyasha and Kagome are determined the save those people."

"What about you?"

"I just want to kill Naraku for the curse he laid on my family." Miroku clenched his right hand.

"What curse?"

"I'm back with the water!" Kagome announced, skipping into camp with a bucket of water.

Sakuya sighed with relief. "Thank you… I feel so hot now."

Kagome pulled a cloth from her backpack and dipped it in the water. "I hope you two had a nice conversation while I was gone."

Sakuya and Miroku exchanged glances. "You could say that." Miroku leaned against a tree. "I'm going to sleep. Shippou, watch over Kagome for me, will you?"

"Can do, Miroku!"

**(I promise the next chapter will be better. This is just sort of a transition from one action part to the next, y'know, where you find out some stuff that will be used in the future. Kay? I SO TOTALLY PROMISE the next chap. Will be out super soon! R&R, please! Flames will be used to light lanterns!) **


	3. Chapter 3

Inuyasha and Sango had walked for miles, and there was still no sign of the cave.

"You think he's leading us on?" Sango asked Inuyasha, shifting her boomerang.

"Yes. But the least we can do is check for…" he stopped as a tall, big demon popped out of seemingly nowhere.

"What business have ye here?" It asked, looking down on them.

"We seek the amulet of Io." Sango replied boldly.

"You may not pass." The demon rumbled. "Only she who needs the amulet may take it!"

"That's why we're here!" Inuyasha retorted. "Sakuya is sick and crippled, and to speed up the healing process we need her demon blood!"

"How do I know ye really know Sakuya?" The demon demanded, glaring at them with its pig eyes.

Sango whipped out Sakuya's fan and unfolded it. "It this enough proof?"

The demon knelt and looked at it. "You pass." He stepped aside.

"Hey—WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?" Inuyasha asked.

Sango's mind flashed back to when she knelt by Sakuya in the last chapter. "I took it from Sakuya, just in case."

"She'll kill you!"

"I know…"

Inuyasha pointed ahead. "Looks, I think that's the cave. Wow, ugly thing, wonder why people missed it before."

"I don't see any cave."

Inuyasha looked at Sango, then back at the gaping cave before them. Could only he see it? Maybe it had a human barrier…

He took another step forward, into the cave. So did Sango, where she gasped. "I see it now…"

"It's a human barrier." Inuyasha said. "But… It might be a demon barrier too, a cloak. I guess being a half demon cancels it out, or something…"

"No, it is definitely a human shield." Sango confirmed. "There are demons in here, right?"

"I guess so…"

"Obviously. No human or demon could harness the power of Sakuya's demon blood. It's only natural some are chosen to guard it. Sakuya's family was powerful, even as a demon slayer, her grandparents were the wise elders of our village."

"So two old codgers made her family famous, huh, big deal." Inuyasha crossed his arms behind his head as they ventured further into the cave.

"Do not disrespect them." Sango warned. "Her father was one of the leaders of our tribe. Her mother died early, so she had to grow up rough, with three brothers, one of which was Kohaku's friend."

"I see, I see. Buncha warriors, three brothers… I can see how she can be skilled." He looked over as Sango burst into a fit of coughs. "Something wrong?"

"You mean you can't smell that…?" She whipped out her gas mask and fastened it on her face.

"Hm. Maybe it's a gas that only affects humans." Inuyasha suggested. "I don't smell anything…"

"They don't think highly of humans here, do they…?" Sango coughed again and pulled off her mask. "It gets in the mask… I don't know if it's deadly or not… I have to go back. Good luck with the demons, Inuyasha…" She turned around and ran out. _I'll go back to Miroku, Kagome, Sakuya, and Shippo._ She said, looking at Kirara on her shoulder. She too was unfazed by the gas. "Go with Inuyasha." She instructed. Kirara mewed and took off into the cave again.

* * *

"It's all too easy." 

Slain demons lay all around Inuyasha, victims to his claws. Inuyasha wiped his claws on his kimono and shook his head. "Haven't seen a decent demon in a while, unless you count Sakuya…"

He advanced into the next room, where his foot was nearly snared in a miniature bear trap. "Ugh... Traps."

He picked up a rock and airily tossed it into the long hallway. It landed and…

_BOOM._

…was instantly blown to bits.

"Okay, I got to make this quick…" And so he sprang into action.

Inuyasha took a running jump, and threw himself at a wall. He landed and ran along it, avoiding arrows, spears, bombs, et cetera. His toe got caught in a hole in the wall, making him stop long enough to get skimmed by an arrow. He dove the last few steps and landed roughly, tumbling over himself.

"They must REALLY hate humans…" Inuyasha muttered. "No human could have gotten past that… Hey! Kirara!"

Kirara mewed from the other side of the room and burned to her big form. She flew across and landed next to him, turning back into a cuddly kitten, mewing again.

"Oh so I could have done that. How kind of you to tell me."

_Mew.

* * *

_

Sango ran into camp just a minute later. 

"Sango!" Kagome looked up. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"He's still back there…" Sango sat down by the newly kindled fire. "There was a gas poisonous only to humans. Kirara is with him. I wasn't sure if the gas was deadly or not."

Sakuya's eyes lifted. "Of course… I still have at least a drop of demon blood… So I would have been able to get past the gas… They've personalized everything so I could be able to pass. I'm not sure what happens next… Maybe demons, or traps, or whatever…"

Kagome had taken the bandages off her wound and was beginning to stitch it up. Miroku had a red mark on his cheek, which Sango amusingly assumed was a slap from Kagome or Sakuya. Shippou had fallen asleep listening to Sakuya's stories, and was now cuddled up next to her, the wind gently ruffling his tail fur.

"I see. It seeped into my gas mask, too…" Sango sat down. "I do hope Inuyasha gets out unharmed."

* * *

Inuyasha ventured into the next room. It was quiet, and dark, because there was absolutely no windows, openings, et cetera from here on. He took a step forward, and everything was illuminated with an eerie, greenish glow. The glow came from an amulet, drooped gracefully around a stone pinnacle on a small, stone table. Another step forward, and the light changed to blue. Another step, yellow. And the last step, it turned into a bright white. 

Inuyasha reached forward and picked up the amulet. It was thin, and made of gold. It was rather round, with a strange serpent on it, that was eating its own tail. (**A/N: A Fullmetal Alchemist freak I am XD**) Its eye was made of a strange blue gem.

"This must be it…" Inuyasha wrapped the chain around his hand and took off, flying on Kirara to get past the traps. _But that seemed too easy._

**(I know this one was short X.X But it had… A little action, and they got the amulet. SO HAH! This will be another transition, I guess… The next bit with be actiony. Mesa swears!)**


End file.
